Be Still And Know

Proverbs 11:13 I suspect we have all had the experience of someone saying to us: “This is just between you and me. It must go no further. It has to be kept within these four walls.” Because we are human, we get excited. This person has trusted us with important information. But this is dangerous territory. It may well be that they are passing on information with such care because they have promised not to share it. They have proved that they cannot keep a confidence. You’d do well to remember that when speaking to them in future! Gossip is incredibly attractive. The writer of Proverbs refers to it as being “like dainty morsels that sink deep into one’s heart” (Proverbs 18:8). When we hear gossip, for a fleeting moment we feel flattered that the person was willing to share it with us. Then we realise the horrible destructiveness of what they have done. We can be quite sure that our secrets will never be secure with that person. We all need people with whom we can speak with complete confidence.